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Page 278
wives and daughters nor their lands would be safe with such a lord.
Ian's vassals were less happy. They did not desire the enmity either of the king's favorites or of the king. Nonetheless, they came forward to pledge their support to Ian. It occurred to them that, Alinor now irrevocably being Ian's heir, if harm came to him they would be inherited along with her by any man to whom the king chose to give her. They had no more sympathy with the king's apparent choice than Alinor's own vassals; de Vipont was a good lord, honest in his dealing and quick to come to the defense of a man in trouble. Had they known the king's pleasure, they would have protested against this marriage, which would be contrary to it. However, none had known because of those accursed outlawsand those, mostly, existed by the king's faultso now it behooved them to stand firm behind their lord.
William of Salisbury was furious, but his anger was not directed against any person. How could it be? Plainly, Ian was as surprised and appalled as he himself was at what Alinor had done. Yet he could not blame poor Alinor, who was equally plainly frightened out of her wits by the choice of husbands offered her. Probably Ian should have warned her, Salisbury thought, not knowing that Alinor had read his letter, but he understood why Ian had not done so. Salisbury could not even blame John, poor John, who could never judge a man or a situation aright and who invariably and consistently did exactly the wrong thing. He would have to go to John as soon as he arrived in England, Salisbury thought, and explain what had happened. If he could convince John to accept this marriage graciously, little harm would be done. The king's kindness in forgiving a subject would overshadow his lack of good taste in desiring to enrich his faithful servants.
Shortly after dinner, before he departed, Salisbury said as much to Ian and asked about the disposition of

 
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